Michael Epstein
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Articles by Michael Epstein
OPINION: Private equity in law firms raises fee-sharing questions
As investors put millions into legal management companies, author calls for greater transparency The basics: Private equity-backed MSOs are partnering with a growing number of plaintiffs’ law firms Ethics rules generally prohibit lawyers from sharing legal fees with nonlawyers Fixed management fees may raise questions if they effectively track law firm revenue Author calls for greater transparency into MSO agreements, fees and valuations Private equity is moving into the legal business, and...
The Most Dangerous Thing Your Lawyer Can Tell You Is Nothing
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo Imagine suffering a serious injury, undergoing multiple surgeries, and hiring a lawyer because you believe someone should be held accountable for what happened to you. You do what millions of Americans do every year. You place your trust in a professional who understands a legal system you don't. Now imagine discovering, years later, that your lawsuit has been dismissed. Not because a jury rejected your claim.
Accounting Firms Are Learning The Legal Business. Lawyers Need To Learn The Accounting.
Lawyers are trained to read contracts, statutes, court opinions, and complicated regulatory provisions. We can spend hours examining a single paragraph in an agreement, arguing about what a particular word means or whether a provision creates an obligation that someone didn’t anticipate. But ask a room full of accomplished trial lawyers to explain the financial structure of a modern management services organization, and I suspect the conversation would become considerably less confident.
The Most Important Question About a Law Firm MSO Isn’t Who Owns It. It’s Who Can Say No.
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo There is an understandable tendency when lawyers talk about management services organizations, private equity and outside investment in the legal industry to start with the organizational chart. Who owns the law firm? Who owns the MSO? Are they separate companies? Where does the money go? Those are important questions, but I’m increasingly convinced they aren’t the most important ones.
AI In The Courtroom: The Rules Are Coming, Just Not How Lawyers Expect
(Image via Getty) The legal profession is waiting for clarity. It wants rules. Bright lines. A defined set of dos and don’ts for using artificial intelligence in legal work. Something concrete that says, “This is acceptable,” and “This is not.” But that’s not how this is going to unfold. If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that courts are not rushing to create an entirely new regulatory framework for AI. Instead, they are doing something far more consequential.
Your Law Firm May Soon Have an MSO. Here’s What That Means.
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo There is a decent chance that most people reading this have never heard the term “MSO.” Well, that is about to change. Management services organizations (MSOs) have become an increasingly interesting part of business conversations surrounding professional services, including the law.
Your Law Firm May Soon Have an MSO. Here’s What That Means.
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Topics Expert OpinionAdministrative Law Management services organizations (MSOs) have become an increasingly interesting part of business conversations surrounding professional services, including the law.
Pete Davidson: Alive From New York
Pete Davidson: Alive From New York (2026) Fragman Vizyon Tarihi: 25 Şubat 2020 Yapımcı: Kieran Dotti, Michael J. Epstein, Cisco Henson, Pete Davidson, Tim Sarkes İlgili Platform Sayfalarımız: Pete Davidson: Alive From New York Konusu Ünlü komedyen ve "Saturday Night Live" yıldızı Pete Davidson, New York City'de canlı olarak kaydedilen stand-up gösterisi Pete Davidson: Alive From New York ile izleyici karşısına çıkıyor.
What Happened to the New Jersey Law Journal’s Judicial Survey?
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo There used to be something published in New Jersey that I found enormously useful as a practicing lawyer. The New Jersey Law Journal surveyed lawyers, asking them about judges. For lawyers who have practiced long enough, you probably remember it. For younger lawyers, you may not even know it existed. The judicial survey asked attorneys who had actually appeared before judges to evaluate them across a series of categories.
What Happened to the New Jersey Law Journal’s Judicial Survey?
CommentaryJudges Knowing how a judge manages a courtroom doesn't tell you how that judge will decide your case. Nor should it. But it can tell you how to present the case efficiently, what the judge expects from counsel and how to avoid wasting everyone's time. 6 minute read September 18, 2026 at 12:30 PM Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo There used to be something published in New Jersey that I found enormously useful as a practicing lawyer.
New Jersey Needs to Take a Harder Look at Who Appears in Lawyer Advertising
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo I recently wrote about the increasingly aggressive world of personal injury advertising and, specifically, the questions raised when national law firms market themselves to New Jersey consumers. I expected some disagreement. Lawyer advertising has always produced disagreement. What I did not expect was to come away from the subject thinking that perhaps I had framed the issue too narrowly.
New Jersey Needs to Take a Harder Look at Who Appears in Lawyer Advertising
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Topics Expert OpinionLaw Firm Marketing and Business Development A photograph of a family accompanying an article about automobile accidents is one thing.
Morgan & Morgan Is Testing The Limits Of Lawyer Advertising. The Rest Of Us Should Pay Attention.
Morgan & Morgan recently sued the Florida Bar over a rule that prohibits lawyers from using a celebrity’s voice or image in advertising. The firm says the restriction violates the First Amendment. The lawsuit has already revived a familiar debate about lawyer advertising. Are rules like Florida’s restrictions preventing law firms from marketing themselves the way virtually every other business does? Or are there legitimate reasons to treat advertising for legal services differently?
The Last Twenty Feet Are the Ones We Forget
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo If you ask most parents about the drive to school, they’ll probably describe the trip itself. The traffic. The school zone. The line of cars waiting to pull into the parking lot. The driver who seemed to be in too much of a hurry. What they usually won’t talk about are the last twenty feet. That’s understandable. By then, it feels like you’ve arrived. The hard part is over. Except it isn’t.
The Last Twenty Feet Are the Ones We Forget
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Topics Expert OpinionRisk and Compliance The drive doesn’t really end when you reach the school.
Harnessing macrophage signaling pathways and scalable engineering for next-generation immunotherapies
Abstract Macrophages have emerged as promising candidates for cell-based immunotherapies due to their intrinsic plasticity, tissue-infiltrating capabilities, and central roles in orchestrating immune responses. Their phenotypic and functional diversity within tissues and the tumor microenvironment has driven interest in harnessing these cells for therapeutic purposes.
NJ makes critical ruling on Uber, Lyft liability in crashes | Opinion
NJ makes critical ruling on Uber, Lyft liability in crashes | Opinion Michael J. Epstein Special to the USA TODAY Network Aug. 12, 2026, 4:05 a.m. ET Most people don't spend much time thinking about insurance coverage until something goes wrong.
NJ makes critical ruling on Uber, Lyft liability in crashes | Opinion
Most people don't spend much time thinking about insurance coverage until something goes wrong.
NJ makes critical ruling on Uber, Lyft liability in crashes | Opinion
Most people don't spend much time thinking about insurance coverage until something goes wrong. If you're walking across a street in New Jersey and a vehicle strikes you, your first concern isn't whether the driver is using the family car, delivering food, transporting an Uber passenger or completing a Lyft ride. You aren't thinking about Title 17, the Transportation Network Company Act, or whether the vehicle falls into one statutory definition instead of another.
A Full Bench in Trenton: The Promise and Pressure of New Jersey’s Judicial Moment
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo New Jersey is experiencing something that almost no one is talking about. Its courts are unusually full. For decades, conversations about the judiciary in Trenton and across the legal community focused on vacancies. Empty benches. Judges stretched thin. Criminal trials postponed. Civil matters drifting for months or years. Family cases waiting for attention that families desperately needed. Now, quietly, the pendulum has swung.
New Jersey Finally Drew the Right Line Between Lawyers and Clients
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo Beginning September 1, New Jersey attorneys will be subject to a straightforward new rule: unless a consensual sexual relationship already existed before the attorney-client relationship began, a lawyer may not engage in sexual relations with a current client. Some have criticized the rule as too rigid while others have said this was long overdue. I think the Supreme Court got it right.
After BJ's roof collapse in Ocean, lawyers have questions | Opinion
Michael J. Epstein Special to the USA TODAY Network Updated July 21, 2026, 5:09 a.m. ET The good news from Ocean Township was the news everyone wanted to hear. After part of the roof collapsed inside a BJ’s Wholesale Club during severe weather on July 6, all 27 people who had been inside the store made it out alive.
After BJ's roof collapse in Ocean, lawyers have questions | Opinion Original
The good news from Ocean Township was the news everyone wanted to hear.
What The 2026 FIFA World Cup Taught Us About Global Events
(Photo by Isabelle Ouvrard/SEPA.Media /Getty Images) When I wrote several pieces about the 2026 FIFA World Cup before the tournament began, my point was simple: the biggest sporting event on the planet was also going to be one of the most complicated legal undertakings ever attempted. Now that the final whistle has blown, that prediction proved to be less of a theory than an observation. For most fans, the World Cup was exactly what it should have been. Extraordinary soccer. Dramatic moments.
Lawyers Do Not Need An AI Ban. They Need An AI Duty Of Care.
Not long ago, artificial intelligence in the legal profession still felt hypothetical. Lawyers were experimenting with it quietly. Judges were curious but cautious. Most discussions about AI and the law sounded academic. That phase is over. Today, lawyers are using AI to draft motions, summarize medical records, review contracts, organize discovery, prepare demand letters, and conduct research. Some are using it thoughtfully. Some are using it recklessly.
The First Question I Ask Isn't Whether the Employer Paid
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo There was a time when these phone calls were easy. Someone would tell me they had settled an employment dispute. The documents had been signed. Payment was supposed to arrive weeks ago. It never did. Could I help enforce the agreement? The next step was almost automatic. "Send me the settlement agreement." I still ask for it. I just don't assume it tells the whole story anymore.
New Jersey's New E-Bike Insurance Law Solves One Problem. But It Leaves an Important Question Unanswered.
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo Not long ago, e-bikes occupied a strange place in the law. They weren't really bicycles anymore, at least not all of them. But they weren't treated much like motor vehicles either. Meanwhile, the technology kept moving. Every year they became faster, heavier, and more common. You no longer saw them only on recreational trails.
New Jersey's New E-Bike Insurance Law Solves One Problem. But It Leaves an Important Question Unanswered.
Expert OpinionPersonal Injury Beginning July 19, riders of certain higher-powered e-bikes will have to carry liability insurance because those bikes are now classified as motorized bicycles under state law. Some people have criticized the change as unnecessary regulation. I don't see it that way. 5 minute read July 07, 2026 at 08:00 AM Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo Not long ago, e-bikes occupied a strange place in the law.
The Tennessee AI Sanctions Case Isn’t Really About AI
The source of the mistake may have changed. The professional obligation has not. (Credit: Jirsak/Shutterstock.com) I have a confession. When I first read about the Tennessee sanctions decision that has become one of the legal profession’s latest cautionary tales about artificial intelligence, I expected to come away with a better understanding of AI. Instead, I found myself thinking about lawyers. That may sound strange given the amount of attention the case has received.
After The World Cup Ends, The Cameras Will Still Be Here
(Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) A couple of weeks into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the conversation has understandably focused on the matches themselves. The United States opened with a strong performance. Canada and Mexico have already generated excitement among home supporters. Across North America, stadiums are full, fan festivals are thriving, and millions of visitors are moving through cities that have spent years preparing for this moment.
Two NJ teens die on e-bikes. Stop pretending this is normal | Opinion
Two New Jersey families were planning funerals recently. In Monmouth County, a 15-year-old boy died after his e-bike collided with the rear of a stopped vehicle in Middletown. Just days later, another teenager riding an e-bike was killed after being struck by a UPS truck in Burlington County. The investigations will continue. Police will examine speed, visibility, road conditions, driver actions and countless other details. Those facts matter. But they should not distract us from a larger question.
Two NJ teens die on e-bikes. Stop pretending this is normal | Opinion Original
Two New Jersey families were planning funerals recently. In Monmouth County, a 15-year-old boy died after his e-bike collided with the rear of a stopped vehicle in Middletown. Just days later, another teenager riding an e-bike was killed after being struck by a UPS truck in Burlington County.
New Jersey Drivers Deserve More Transparency About Auto Insurance
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo Most New Jersey drivers believe the person selling them car insurance is helping protect them from financial disaster. That assumption is understandable. It is also, in many cases, dangerously incomplete. The distinction between an insurance agent and an insurance broker sounds technical and boring right up until the moment a family discovers, after a catastrophic crash, that the coverage they thought they had is nowhere near enough.
The White House was the target this time, but every outdoor stadium is at risk
Opinion>Opinions - White House The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill by Michael J. Epstein, opinion contributor - 06/22/26 8:00 AM ET Link copied by Michael J. Epstein, opinion contributor - 06/22/26 8:00 AM ET Link copied Associated Press UFC Freedom 250 takes place on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Washington.
Opinion - The White House was the target this time, but every outdoor stadium is at risk
The first thing that crossed my mind when I read about the alleged drone plot targeting last week’s UFC event in Washington was not politics. It was MetLife Stadium. That may sound like a strange leap. One event took place on the South Lawn of the White House. The other is hosting World Cup matches in northern New Jersey. They have different organizers, different security teams, different jurisdictions, and different challenges.
FIFA World Cup 26: Safe From Drones, Watched By Everyone?
(Photo by Isabelle Ouvrard/SEPA.Media /Getty Images) Like a lot of people in this region, I’ve spent the past few weeks thinking about the World Cup. Part of that is simple excitement. We do not get many opportunities to host an event of this scale. In a matter of days, millions of people from around the world will be watching matches played right here in our backyard. For soccer fans, it is the equivalent of having the Olympics come to town.
A Man of the Fame, Not a Man of the People? What Morgan & Morgan's Wall Street Moment Says About the Future of Law
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo A few years ago, if someone had told me that private equity firms would one day be studying plaintiffs' law firms the way they study healthcare companies or technology businesses, I probably would have laughed. Not because law firms are not businesses. They are. Every lawyer who has ever worried about payroll, overhead, rent, insurance, and collections knows that. Still, there has always been something different about the legal profession.
The World Cup Is Coming To New York. So Why Aren’t Hotel Numbers Higher?
For years, cities around the world have competed aggressively for the right to host major sporting events based on a familiar promise: economic transformation. The logic sounds straightforward. Bring in a global event, attract millions of visitors, fill hotels and restaurants, generate tax revenue, and showcase the region to the world. Politicians celebrate the projected impact long before the first ticket is scanned.
When Government Lawyers Start Asking Questions About World Cup Tickets
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo Most people hear the word “subpoena” and immediately jump to the same conclusion. Somebody must have done something wrong. That is not necessarily true. Not even close. The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey announced they have subpoenaed FIFA over ticket sales tied to the 2026 World Cup, including the matches scheduled for MetLife Stadium and the final itself.
When Government Lawyers Start Asking Questions About World Cup Tickets
Search Input Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Expert OpinionConsumer Protection The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey announced they have subpoenaed FIFA over ticket sales tied to the 2026 World Cup, including the matches scheduled for MetLife Stadium and the final itself.
FIFA’s Bigger World Cup May Come With A Bigger Cost For Fans
(Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being promoted as the biggest and most inclusive tournament in the sport’s history. For the first time, the field will expand from 32 teams to 48. The tournament will feature 104 matches spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA has described the changes as a way to grow the game globally and create more opportunities for nations and fans around the world. On paper, that sounds difficult to oppose.
New Jersey Won the World Cup Final. But Did the Public Win the Deal?
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo Next month, New Jersey will become the epicenter of the sports world. MetLife Stadium is set to host eight FIFA World Cup matches, including the final itself. Millions of viewers will watch images of the region broadcast across the globe. Politicians will celebrate the visibility. Business groups will promise economic gains. FIFA will present the event as a triumph of international sport and cooperation.
New Jersey Won the World Cup Final. But Did the Public Win the Deal?
Search Input Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Companies/Organizations Topics Expert OpinionEntertainment and Sports Law New Jersey taxpayers are not simply hosting soccer matches.
When Delays Become Dangerous: Airport Liability in the World Cup Surge
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo If you have flown recently, you have seen it. Security lines that do not move. Gate areas where there is nowhere to sit. Passengers spread out on the floor, phones dying, tempers rising, information limited. Flights delayed, then delayed again. For most people, it registers as frustration. Part of modern air travel. But from a legal standpoint, there is a point where this stops being an inconvenience and starts becoming something else.
When Your Spirit Airlines Ticket Disappears: What World Cup 2026 Travelers Need To Know Now
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) If you were planning to get to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Spirit Airlines, your travel plans didn’t just hit turbulence. They vanished. The airline’s abrupt shutdown on May 2 has stranded millions of passengers and, more importantly, collapsed a piece of the travel infrastructure that many World Cup attendees were quietly relying on. Ultra-low-cost carriers do not just move people. They anchor expectations.
When Delays Become Dangerous: Airport Liability in the World Cup Surge
Search Input Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Topics Expert OpinionPremises Liability Airlines are generally insulated from liability for the delay itself. Weather happens. Air traffic control slows things down. Equipment issues arise.
The World Cup Is Coming. So Is A New Kind Of Tax.
(Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) When governments host global events, they tend to make the same promise: the world will come, and the economics will work. FIFA World Cup 26 is testing that assumption in real time. In New Jersey, a dispute is unfolding over a proposed set of tax increases tied to the matches at MetLife Stadium.
AI Didn’t File That Brief. A Lawyer Did.
Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm. Courtesy photo There’s a temptation, especially in moments like this, to treat artificial intelligence as the story. It isn’t. The real story is responsibility.
AI Didn’t File That Brief. A Lawyer Did.
Search Input Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Law Firms/Representation Topics Expert OpinionArtificial Intelligence The legal profession has always been built on a simple premise: if your name is on the filing, it is your work.
The $150 Train Ride That Explains Everything Wrong With The World Cup Economy
(Photo by Isabelle Ouvrard/SEPA.Media /Getty Images) There are moments when a story is so absurd it stops being about the story itself and starts revealing something much bigger. The reported plan to charge $150 for a round-trip train ticket from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium during the World Cup is one of those moments. It is easy to frame this as a transit pricing issue. It is not. It is a liability, accountability, and fairness issue hiding in plain sight. Let’s start with the basics.
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